After India, Nvidia makes AI push in Japan; to help with SoftBank’s supercomputer plans

Nvidia said Wednesday (Nov 13) it has secured a partnership with Japanese giant SoftBank Group Corp as the latter plans to build a supercomputer using the Americancompany’s Blackwell design. SoftBank’s telecom arm is building the supercomputer to help support a wide range of local services. The powerful device will be developed based on Nvidia’s DGX B200 product, which boosts computer processors by aligning them with AI accelerator chips.

Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang had announced the plans to use the new Blackwell design earlier this year but the execution slowed following supply chain issues. Now, Nvidia is hoping to ramp up supplies as more production units go online.

Nvidia’s chips have turned out to be a much sought-after commodity in the tech market for companies that aim to utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) models.

As Huang said Wednesday while speaking at Nvidia’s AI Summit in Tokyo, the plans made by SoftBank’s telecom arm will “result in an AI grid that runs across Japan.”

He added that new AI-RANs, or AI radio access networks, will be harnessed in offering services such as remote robotics and autonomous vehicle support.

The United States-basedtech giant is placing special emphasis on markets like India and Japan in a bid to reduce its reliance on select Americancustomers.

Earlier in October this year, Nvidia said it would supply artificial intelligence processors to Indian companies such as Reliance Industries. The US firm said it will supply its Blackwell AI processors for a one-gigawatt data centre that the Indian company is building in the western state of Gujarat.

"In the future, India is going to be the country that will export AI," Huang said, by contrast with its role in software exports. "You have the fundamental ingredients - AI, data and AI infrastructure, and you have a large population of users."

(With inputs from agencies)